Florida girl in minneapolis?? (Edina, Robbinsdale: how much, hotel, houses)

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

We are actually in the debate right now between movnig back to Minneapolis area or Tampa Fl. We are currently in Washington DC. I grew up in MN as i mentioned and lived there for 25 years. IT can be fearfully brutal. Constant below zero temps, scrappnig ice off your window for 30 minutes every morning, shoveling every day and going in sopping wet and sore, never being able to breath because it hurts your lungs, getting stuck in traffic in a snow storm or worse yet, stuck in the ditch, having gray skys for 6 months, pushing your shopping cart through 4 inches of slush to get it to your car, alwyas having wet socks, dirty crappy roads for 6 months, winterizing your home every year, hoping your battery in your car doesnt freeze and that it will start, I could go on with bnegatives about living in MN, but how about this...... So that people dont think i am a MN hater

You make it sound like Armageddon. Winter is definitely going to be a shock to the OP, but it's not the end of the world. I grew up in northern Minnesota that sees longer, colder winters than the Twin Cities and most days you DIDN'T have to scrape off your windshield. Or shovel. And I don't think I ever had a battery problem, despite the fact that my car sat out on the driveway.

[west336]

you're not "suburban people" yet you're from Florida, so Bloomington, if anything, should feel "urban" to you (unless you're from Miami). But if I were you, I'd choose the city too and Minneapolis OR St. Paul are leaps and bounds better than most of what Florida public schooling can offer, and I myself grew up in the "inner-city" public schooling system and turned out okay (well, that's subjective).

My point is that you may not need to locate outside of Bloomington itself to be more than happy, but also that your skin won't freeze on contact with snow and you'll survive, just like 99.999999% of people do who are exposed to colder weather for 3-4 months of the year. Whether or not you LIKE it almost entirely depends on you and your willingness to acclimate to a new environment. From what I've heard, a LOT of Floridians make the transition rather smoothly, so you're in good hands!

[west336]

Originally Posted by xandrex

You make it sound like Armageddon. Winter is definitely going to be a shock to the OP, but it's not the end of the world. I grew up in northern Minnesota that sees longer, colder winters than the Twin Cities and most days you DIDN'T have to scrape off your windshield. Or shovel. And I don't think I ever had a battery problem, despite the fact that my car sat out on the driveway.

Not only that, but the poster could hardly spell! And since when does it take 30 minutes to de-ice your car? It takes me 1-2 minutes, with a little bit of heavy breathing (yeah, if that's a problem for the OP then maybe wildly varying temps aren't for you). BTW, it CAN get downright hot here in July.....my numbers are showing closer to 86 degrees for the average July high temp for the past 10 years (using official MN weather data). 86 isn't "hot", per se, but that's the average....I consider 88-90 and above "hot", or at least hot enough to be uncomfortable with moderate to high humidity (which also isn't uncommon during summer here). Yes.....you are not escaping humidity altogether by moving to MN....quite the contrary, actually.

[danielle_pal]

I would rent in downtown Minneapolis. There are some gorgeous condos along the river with downtown Minneapolis views. Here is one I would like to rent if I were living your life
Brand New! Mill District City Apts (http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/apa/2621673564.html - broken link)
and another
Warehouse Loft w/ Private Rooftop Deck (http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/apa/2624475912.html - broken link)

[whatever]

Originally Posted by west336

From what I've heard, a LOT of Floridians make the transition rather smoothly, so you're in good hands!

OP, I came up here from south FL. The weather transition was easy enough but the cultural transition was another story. I live out west towards the lake for the schools that we liked but the area where we live, picturesque as it is, is pretty bland. I really like some areas in town but that wouldn't provide the school environment we liked.

This isn't about me though. My message to you is to pay more attention to the area you live, the weather can be managed. And a garage is definitely a good thing

[Camden Northsider]

You might want to check out my neighborhood (Victory, in Minneapolis) or the neighboring suburb of Robbinsdale- people don't generally think of this NW area of the city as one that would be a good locale geography-wise for a short commute to Blooomington/Edina area, but many of my neighbors work in that area and have pretty stress-free commutes courtesy the easy access to Hwy 100 from here (vs fighting the congestion of South Mpls). There are a lot of young families in Victory, it's a city neighborhood that has a good handful of nice restaurants, businesses, etc. in the neighborhood, lots of parks all around, and I have many friends who are very happy with their child's experience at Loring Elementary right in the neighborhood and appreciate that it's a little more diverse (and a LOT more affordable) up here.

Good luck with your decision, a lot of transplants come to the Cities from warmer climates- I think they build up the cold weather in their heads so much before coming that after going through an actual winter, they realize it's not that big of a deal. Yes, it gets cold and snowy, but you learn to live with it and possibly enjoy it (or learn to take warm-weather vacations in Jan/Feb every year!).

[Mark_22]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

IT can be fearfully brutal. Constant below zero temps, scrappnig ice off your window for 30 minutes every morning, shoveling every day and going in sopping wet and sore, never being able to breath because it hurts your lungs

If you're sore everyday, it takes you 30 minutes to scrape your windshield, and breathing cold air "hurts your lungs" you should probably join a gym and maybe see a doctor.

[rtloucks]

Ok.... so it may be a slight exaggeration on the TRUTH, but you know as well as I do, these are real hurdles anyone in MN deals with in the winter. Joining a Gym is not going to help the Bitter Cold Air from entering your lungs..... I am in fine shape, but anyone who has to deal with this stuff will agree unless like you, they are just making up an excuse to make it sound better so they can feel good about the bad choices they made to move there or stay there. I have already agreed that there are plenty of benefits to living in MN too, I just don't think anyone that doesnt love the Bitter Cold is in for a shock. You all say that the cold isnt "that cold" or it doesnt last "that long" but I grew up there for 25 years. I remember days where if I didnt wear gloves, my hands would prespire just a little and they would freeze to door handles or car doors. Oh the ICE?... yes, inch of ice on teh highways is always fun to drive in. The only good thing I can say about that is MN is usually prepared with sand and salt trucks and plows, so yes you may be a little safer but you get to stare at mounds of piled up dirty crappy snow all over for months because it never melts. I remember boating on the 29th day September and on OCT 1st....a foot of snow I remember digging my car out of a foot and a half of snow that fell on my birthday....April 29th! I have seen literally 1000's of vehilce in teh ditches over my time there, oh and didnt the Metrodome roof collapse last year? But youre right, its probably not THAT BAD. Give me a break. MN people can have thier glory with this and bash me all they want. All I am saying is that if you are born and reaised in the south adn think that you shoudl listen to everyone from MN tell you it isnt that bad, you should go on and find forums with peopl ethat moved out of MN or moved to MN and left for these very reasons and you will see what I mean. I have lived around the South for 6 years now and can relate with people from the South and even though you may be sick of the ehat and humidity, just do some homework first on MN. Maybe consider a halfway point instead or Denver. Someplace where you get some winter but not the constant Below Zero temps and it wont last for 7-8 months

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

Ok.... so it may be a slight exaggeration on the TRUTH, but you know as well as I do, these are real hurdles anyone in MN deals with in the winter.

I cut off quoting the rest of your post cause no one cares to hear it. If so many East Africans can relocate here from living in the DESERT their whole lives, and without complaint, I think some Floridian/people from the South can handle it. I think the complaining about the weather gets blown out of proportion as a result of people not having much else to complain about here.

To each his own- we happen to be those people that try and take a warm weather vacation in the dead of the winter every year, and the thought does occassionally cross our minds about the prospect of living somewhere warmer- but the rewards of living here (including the 4 seasons, which includes a 3-4 mos "winter" proper, but this is relative depending on how you define winter) far outweigh a move to a warmer climate.

[rtloucks]

[QUOTEI cut off quoting the rest of your post cause no one cares to hear it. If so many East Africans can relocate here from living in the DESERT their whole lives, and without complaint, I think some Floridian/people from the South can handle it.]

[/quote]

The reason so many East Africans move there (especially the Somalli) is the same reason the Bosnian Population boomed so much there back in 2000-2001, FREE HEALTHCARE, NO TAXES FOR 7 YEARS, FOOD STAMPS/EBT, WELFARE ETC......MN Will take in anyone. There is no other place they can go and get the benefits they get from MN. If MN Cut this program off, they wouldnt go there. I know several people and families of both decents and they all concure.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stor...ern-cold_x.htm I pulled a few different years in a row to show you that it gets like this every year there, not just one bad year.
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/37565239.html CHECK OUT THESE WIND CHILLS AND BELOW ZERO TEMPS http://www.startribune.com/local/south/37565239.html
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-377323 AND ANOTHER, THERE ARE PLENTY OF THESE TO GO AROUND, i COULD SPEND ALL DAY PULLING PAGES OFF THE NET PROVING THE WAYYYYYY BELOW ZERO TEMPS, lAST TIME i WAS HOME VISITING IN THE wINTER IT WAS 38 below zero and that was the air temp, with the windchill it was much worse, THat was the last time I went there in the winter to visit.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28636150/